Sweet Sorrows
by paintress
Summary: They scorned her once before but now she's back to show them what they refused see. Usagi's POV
1. Betrayal

**Synopsis: **They scorned her once before but now she's back to show them what they refused see. Usagi POV

**Disclaimer:** not mine

**Prologue:**

_Drip drop_. Rain. Storm clouds were steadily gathering, covering in mere moments any trace of the sun's luminous rays. I turned to the skies praying for a miracle, anything. When nothing came, I was left standing in the open street as teardrops from the heavens splattered into puddles. _Splish Splash._

"Usagi. You can't keep doing this," my eyes closed as I continued to listen. The raindrops seemed to be becoming heavier as they slid down my forehead and across the arch of my nose where it accumulated into a big, clear bead.   
  
"This has been the fifth youma attack this week, and not only were you…" I smiled as my finger moved to touch the round-shaped liquid and watched as it fell onto my upturned lips.   
  
"Are you listening to me? Damn it Usagi! Snap out of it. For heaven's sake can't you be serious just once?" Firm hands shook me out of my reverie as blue clashed with violet. I could see myself burning away under the passionate fury of Rei's heated glare. This would be a long one.

"Usagi. It's not funny anymore. It never was. Why can't you ever grow up? I mean how long has it been since- since we've found out you're the princess? This isn't a game!"

I looked around to the others for support. My eyes never met with a single person's save Mamoru's, but even he turned away and my joy left as quickly as it came. Ami, Makato, Mina... What on earth was going on?

"Stop it. Stop it, Usagi… no, _Serenity_. I've held this in far too long, and since no one else is able to say it, I will. You are no leader. Half the time we've been running around the battlefield trying to keep _you_ from danger. You're only a burden to the team even if you do hold the silver crystal. Having power is one thing, but knowing how to use it is another. I'm going to have to ask you to resign from your position as a sailor scout. You aren't fit to be a princess. Consider yourself unneeded," she spat. 

How could her fiery eyes look so cold, so hateful? Whimpering as tears threatened to spill, I bit my tongue to keep myself from showing any signs of vulnerability. But, I looked down in shame. The last attack had drained me of any energy I had left. With a sigh of defeat, I succumbed to exhaustion and felt the air encompass itself around me as the crystal instinctively teleported me to where I felt the safest, within the walls of my very own bedroom. 

"Typical." It was the last thing I heard Rei mumble as I disappeared.

**Author's Note:** Yeah, I know. It's really short. Oh well, it's just the prologue. Hopefully, if enough people like the story I'll keep writing. If not, I'll delete it. The whole plot is too cliché, and I'm getting bored with writing it already. So… we'll see. Until then, ciao! 


	2. Regression

**Synopsis: **They scorned her once before but now she's back to show them what they refused see. Usagi POV**  
Disclaimer:** not mine

**_Recap: _**_"Typical." It was the last thing I heard Rei mumble as I disappeared._

**Chapter 1:  
  
**

"Damn," I swore under my breath. It's been 3 years since I stepped foot into Tokyo Airport. 

People were bustling around me, grumbling about suitcases and plane tickets, while I shoved my way through the myriad of lines. Memories, that I thought were forgotten, rushed through my mind like a flood that finally broke through a dam, one that was built with meticulous effort. I shuddered from my thoughts as my lips pinched into a thin line. I rubbed my arms until the goose bumps faded, only to break out into a grin when I realized what an idiot I must have looked like. Here I was, trembling in the summer heat, clad in a quaint, little dress that I bought at a small boutique in France.   
  
Walking to collect my belongings, I surveyed my surroundings and inhaled a whiff of Tokyo air. I was back home… home, where I belonged? I pulled out a pale pink suitcase that was clearly labeled with a bunny on the tag. Chuckling at my own silliness, I became aware of two eyes boring into my exposed back. 

"Hello, I'm a thief, and I'm here to steal your heart," a masculine voice murmured into my ear.

Turning a complete 180, I was about to politely request that the man remove his hands from my waist to somewhere safer, preferably his own pockets, and then to get the hell away from me. I really was. Until I realized…  
  
"Motoki??" I gasped. My blue eyes widened to their full capacity.  
  
"Usagi?!" 

It's amazing how fast his hands flew off my sides and behind his back, "I-I-I… Holy crap. Usagi??"  
  
The way he was staring at me gave me the heebie jeebies, if you get what I mean. His eyes roamed every detail, every curve, everything only pausing when they fell upon my bosom. I was well aware of my sensuality before his gaping mouth had anything to say about it. Spending three entire years in Paris, the city of _love_ had done me good as my body adapted to the changes as well. 

Giggling as I placed my small hand within his own, I replied, "Well Motoki, always the flirt weren't you? Do you like what you see?" I slid my other hand up his chest and cooed, "I could always… show you more, mon chéri." 

His eyes bulged and I think I heard him gulp.  

"Good grief, I was just kidding!" I joked, grinning as I playfully swatted his arm.

Motoki let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head as he let out a nervous laugh, which I joined in on. Pretty soon we were slapping each other's backs like old pals until it developed into a full-fledged smacking contest. After what seemed ages, he enveloped me into a big, bear hug. 

"It's good to have you home, Usa," he whispered.

"It's- it's good to be back," I lied, hoping he wouldn't notice. He didn't.

One reunion down with only about a hundred more to go. Just _great_.  Motoki left me outside while he went to pull his car up to the curb. The weather was beautiful. Wisps of clouds floated in the blue skies and the sun beamed down on me. For a second, everything was perfect. I closed my eyes and my lips curved into a delighted smile. 

"Usagi, it's time to leave." Motoki tapped me on the shoulder. I noticed that he already put away my luggage into the trunk without disturbing my quiet moment. What a sweetheart.

I nodded and stepped into his car. 

"Your parents weren't able to pick you up, so your mother called me to," he explained as he glanced at me.  
  
"Mm… kay."

The rest of the ride was silent. You'd think for friends that haven't seen each other in three years, there'd be more to talk about, but there really wasn't.  
  
After the whole incident, my _escape_ as some people might describe it, to Paris was fairly enjoyable. It was actually a school program to study abroad. My parents and teachers were a tad bit skeptical at first. Okay _okay_, I'll admit, that would be an understatement. They blatantly refused to send me overseas for the fact that my grades were near failure. Yet, everything turned out fine. With a bit of sucking up and feigned sobbing, my parents exasperated faces showed signs of surrendering, and my teachers couldn't do anything to stop me. 

The family that took me in was gracious and fostered me as if I was their own daughter, and with the help of the silver crystal, I gradually began to speak in their tongue, as did any other native. Originally, I was only scheduled to settle there for a year; however, I couldn't bear to leave. Paris was just so breathtaking in all of her splendor, and apart of that, I just wasn't ready to go back to a place I once called my home. 

So here I am. Three years later, and nothing has changed. I felt the car stop to a full halt and bounce up when Motoki's weight was lifted off his seat. The trunk slammed shut and I could hear the wheels of my suitcase rolling on the dry concrete. So this was it. I'm finally home. Pushing the door open, I stepped out of the cool, air-conditioned vehicle lightly. 

He walked me to my front door. "Here are your keys, Usagi. Listen I gotta jet. You know, the arcade and all. If you come by later, I'll be sure to whip up your favorite," He winked.    
  
"Yeah, sure. Maybe I will. Thanks for the ride," I waved from my front door as he pulled out of the driveway.   
  
"Home sweet home…" I muttered as I staggered into my house with the weight of all my baggage.

My room was exactly how I left it. From the pink bed sheets to the pink drapes, everything was just as I remembered. Without another thought, I plopped into bed from exhaustion. The jet lag was killing me. 

Something was squirming beneath me. Luna!  
  
I jumped off the bed and fell on the floor headfirst. Groaning upon impact, I opened my eyes to see amazingly sharp teeth that I didn't know she had possessed. "Usagi!"  
  
I gently laid her back on the bed. "No," I said warily, "Leave me be." 

Her gaze softened, at least, as much as a cat's gaze could.

"The sailor sco-" with my back turned, I put up a hand to silence her.  
  
"Luna, stop," the words rolled off my tongue with such fierceness, it seemed foreign even to me. I couldn't bear to look back at her, so I ran out of the house and down the street.

I didn't know where I was going, but my feet seemed to have of mind of their own. They just continued running until it reached my safe haven, Motoki's arcade. Panting heavily, I slammed myself against the tiled countertop. Motoki stuck his head out from under the table and grinned, "One strawberry parfait coming right up."

The surprises didn't stop there. .

"Oh my god!" I turned to face the direction of the voice. 

There they were, all four of them, their faces frozen in shock. Mina was the first to recover. "Hey girl…" She tried soothingly, moving like a stealthy predator approaching her prey.

Run, my head told me, run your ass off. And I did just that. I bolted out of that place like Forest Gump, and just my luck, what do ya know? That beautiful day that I was enjoying suddenly disappeared and thunderous clouds loomed above my head.   
  
A flash of lightning ignited the sky, and I let out a yelp, running even faster than before.

"One… two…three…four…five" I chanted remembering that a teacher once taught me how to calculate the time in which thunder would sound.  
  
_Crack!_ …or was it when the storm would start? Everything was going horribly wrong! Thunder was my worst enemy and even the silver crystal wouldn't be able to appease my hysteria. I continued to run blindly until I tripped over an uneven concrete wedge in the pavement. I closed my eyes in pain as lood trickled from my bare legs.

"Are you alright, miss?" a familiar voice comforted my ears, "Miss?"

I prepared myself to give a terse reply and be on my way, but to my horror the man who had inquired of my well being was not a stranger after all. I ran blindly and quickly, not realizing my legs willed me to scamper to the apartment complex of a past lover's.

"Mamo-chan…" I breathed as my eyes fluttered open.

_Crack!_ Again, thunder rang through the air and lightning clashed through the skies, but I was lost. I was lost in his deep, midnight blue orbs. And I was drowning.  
  
  
  


  
**Author's Note: **I'm using their Japanese names because I forgot their American ones. The problem is, I forgot Usagi's brother's name, and so I didn't mention him in this chapter. If someone would please inform me of it, I'll make changes. Or maybe I just won't include him, he's kind of annoying. xP Oh yeah, if some of the details don't go along with the original anime, I apologize in advance. It's because of my own laziness. Ohhh and has anyone seen the live-action stuff? As corny as everything in there is, I can't seem to stop myself from downloading it.   
  
Oh yeah, I really shouldn't have, but I did. Check out my other story. ß Ignorance is Bliss

Thanks for the reviews! I'll write more when I get more. ;)


	3. Tension

**Synopsis: **They scorned her once before but now she's back to show them what they refused see. Usagi POV**  
Disclaimer:** not mine

**_Recap: _**_"Mamo-chan…" I breathed as my eyes fluttered open._

**Chapter 2:**

A split second seemed like an eternity. We stayed in our awkward positions with locked eyes, neither one willing to ignite the torture of a confrontation. I caught glimpses of umbrellas with assorted colors floating past us. It was as if we were trapped within a snow globe, and the pitter-pattering of the rain rapidly creating dark spots on the asphalt was the result of a child's simplistic amusement as they shook our world and watched the snow fall gently to the bottom of the dome. 

"Is it really you?" he croaked, not wanting to believe his eyes.

I bit on my bottom lip to keep myself from jumping into his inviting arms as his striking, cobalt eyes scanned my face for a sign of emotion. My teeth were starting to penetrate through the soft, pink flesh of my lips, and I could taste the irony flavor of blood seeping into my mouth. His gaze soon caught onto the crimson, and he hesitantly lifted his thumb to brush away the trail of red that was dribbling down my chin, stopping when I momentarily cringed.

"Mamoru," his name slipped off my tongue like honey, "please, just-"

Our reunion was cut short as a woman's ear-piercing scream rang through the air, echoing through the streets as it bounced from raindrop to raindrop. It wasn't until then when we realized that heaps of bodies were strewn across the pavements, all frozen in a deep slumber without even knowing that their energy was being drained this very moment. We weren't even wet. The rain didn't- no, it couldn't touch us. How could I not have sensed the evil in the atmosphere sooner?

"Shit," he cursed.

The downpour suddenly paused in mid air as sparkles of energy flew to each bead of rain. The air around us simply glowed with raw power, and we mindlessly stared with widened eyes. 

_Snap. _Someone, somewhere close, snapped their fingers and within a millisecond, the droplets evaporated into a clear sky. 

"Serenity… I've been waiting," a deep voice was swept to me in a gust of wind. 

Reaching for the faintest aura in the current, I memorized the feeling and gathered myself from the ground while coming to the realization as to why the evil did not reach my skin or even Mamoru's. I had embedded the silver crystal into my body a while ago, fearing that I'd lose it in France, and it melted into my soul and mind. It was one of the smartest things I've ever done. 

The crystal had sensed the danger and formed a protective shield around me as well as _him, _perhaps because somewhere in my subconscious I did feel… maybe the slightest bit for- no, back to the task on hand. 

I focused on the same aura and found it four blocks away. I ran a few steps, the crystal had healed all cuts and bruises that I once had, and I stopped without turning around, "I am not the girl you think I am, anymore."

With that, I transported myself to the site where all the negative energy was placed, thankfully behind a bush. Choking back laughter, I watched as the four remaining scouts desperately battle against a pathetic youma. They were breathing heavily, brows rimmed with sweat. Rei sent a blast of fire towards it as Minako had it tied down with her chain of hearts. Ami and Lita, thinking that they had finally succeeded, smiled at one another and prepared for their final double attack, when unexpectedly the youma sunk its sharp, yellow teeth into the chain that was restraining him and broke it. 

A lone, golden tear fell from its eye, slid down its forehead, and healed all the burns received from Rei's vigorous attack. An explosion of air crashed against four exhausted bodies, and as I expected, they crumbled to the ground struggling to stand, but only to be met with another burst of energy. The next one would nearly kill them. 

The youma extended its arm and lifted Minako from the ground by her delicate neck and screeched, "Fool! Where is the princess?" 

"I don't know, why don't you tell me?" she replied through strangled muffles. 

I watched as its blood red claws tightened its grip on her collar. It would leave a nasty bruise later.

"Enough!" I cried, "Your fight is with me." 

The creature turned to me as I frowned when he shot me a malicious grin. He flung her body across the street, but I held out my hand and sent a wave of silver threads to catch her before her body could slam onto the ground.

"What do you want?" I asked, but no answer was given to me. Instead, it started racing towards me at a rapid speed with a radiant sword. Where in the world did that come from? The teardrop! This youma was made of the energy collected from the bodies lying on the ground. Who in the world would do such a thing? 

I closed my eyes and imagined a sword in my own hand. Instantly, I felt the light weight of a weapon drop onto my open palm right as the youma took the first blow at me. Of course, I blocked it with ease. Did I forget to mention that I was in the school's fencing team? Silly me. 

Fencing is an art, not just a skill. If you do it right, the duel becomes a dance where every motion is fluid. It took a swipe to my left, which I avoided easily, and slowly tried to back me up into a forsaken alley. Smirking, I let out a loud yawn and patted my mouth with a slender hand while blocking each attack successfully. What a boring match. Filling my sword with purifying magic, I feinted to the right and struck a quick jab into its stomach. 

"Don't mess with me," I murmured as I gave the sword a sharp twist and allowed it to diminish into the air, not caring how loud the monster howled. Slowly, small cracks formed on the circumference of the hole and they traveled throughout the surface of the body. It shattered into pieces, and I was bathed in a pool of shimmer. The energy flooded through the streets, and people began to stir. 

I walked out of the dark alley and back into the sunshine, squinting as my baby blues adjusted to the light. Next to me, Rei groaned and gaped at me with those big, violet eyes of hers. Turning to look ahead of me, I could see Ami's reflecting her emotions, like an ocean of never ending remorse and regret. 

"This doesn't mean I'm back."  I leaped into the air and flew to the roof, where I knew someone was waiting for me. With the slightest chuckle, I called out, "Aren't you a bit old to play games, _Tuxedo Mask_?"

Cold hands clasped tightly onto my wrists and yanked them to turn me around. 

"I am not your beloved Endymion, Serenity," he hissed.

**Author's Note: **Wow, you guys are great! I didn't expect half of as reviews as I got. Yeah, so _Shingo_ is out of the picture. I don't really need him, and I'm thinking of changing this to be a little bit alternate universe-ish.  For those of you who don't want Usagi/Mamoru pairing… too bad suckers. Just kidding! I'd lose the majority of my readers then! Don't worry, I'll find a way to satisfy everyone, probably by writing two different endings. I'm trying to change my writing style around to make it more eloquent? So far, it's not really working, but hopefully by the time I finish this fanfic I'll be able to write something better.

Well, hope you guys enjoy this chapter, bye now!


	4. Confrontation

**Synopsis: **They scorned her once before but now she's back to show them what they refused see. Usagi POV**  
Disclaimer:** not mine

**_Recap: _**_"I am not your beloved Endymion, Serenity," he hissed._

**Chapter 3:**

My eyes widened at the sight before me, squinting only when the sun's bright rays sprang about from behind the cirrus clouds. A dark, gray cloak hung upon the man's figure as his mysterious hood shielded his face from my eyes. His cold hands clung to my thin wrists like claws, almost cutting into my skin as he tightened his grip when I trembled from his touch.

"You can't escape me, Serenity. Never before have you, and never will you now," his voice resonated in the air. 

I just stared and stared at a loss for words. Who was this man that dared to call me Serenity? Gathering all my courage I managed to choke out a few strangled muffles.

"W-Who are you?"

"Ah, my darling. How quickly you forget. I've searched for you for many-a-millennia…" the stranger trailed off. 

He was watching me, and I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Well get on with it!" I snapped, infuriated with this turn of events. My patience was at an all time low, and I certainly wasn't about to spend my day gawking at a complete stranger, whoever he was.

"Well, it's nice to know that you have not changed, my sweet." 

I couldn't see his expression, but I could have sworn there was a tinge of humor in his tone. If I could only pull that dreadful hood from his face…

"You're eyes are very expressive, they always were. Perhaps you would like to know of my identity?"

I nodded.

"We've had quite a history, you and I. Before that whole," he paused, "royal arrangement came into play. Oh, how I loved-"

"Usagi! Where are you! Please, just- I just need to talk to you!" a shrill voice called out from below, sounding quite frantic.

He smirked, or it seemed like he would have, "We'll continue this another time, my love."

"Wait!" I called out, but the pressure upon my wrist was gone. A cool breeze blew past my ears, gently combing through tendrils of my golden mane. 

"Serenity…" it whispered chilling me to the bone, "we **will** meet again."

As quickly as it came, the wind disappeared, leaving me with the naked warmth of the summer day. I walked over to the edge of the rooftop and searched for the voice that had earlier disturbed my encounter with the hooded man, only to blanch when I realized it was Rei. 

Jumping back as she looked up, I steadied myself. That's Rei for you, always good at sensing people's auras, whether they wanted to be or not. 

"Usagi! I know you're up there!" her shrill voice rang in my ears. 

Groaning, I made my way down the emergency stairs on the side of the building and jumped off the remaining portion that was not connected to the ground like a graceful feline at her best. 

"You called?" I mumbled.

She didn't seem so confident anymore. Her violet eyes were clouded over; not nearly as vibrant as they used to be, as they should be, and her hair stuck up at all ends. Hell, her everything was discombobulated. 

Two dark drops fell onto the concrete. I looked up at the sky for the presence of rain clouds. Two attacks in one day? No. Rei was crying. Never in my life have I seen her so shaken up, so insecure. Sniffling. She was actually crying. Here. In front of me. 

"Rei," I whispered.

"No, stop. I'm sorry," she humbly stated while tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her eyes were swollen with pain and her shirt was salt soaked.  

I didn't reply. Did she think that sorry would make it okay? That it would make all of the pain that _they_ caused me just go away? What a joke.

She was waiting for my answer, too bad she'll be disappointed. 

"That's it? That's all you're going to say? I'm sorry? Well I'm sorry too, because I can't accept that apology and walk away pretending that everything would be okay again," my response was curt and snappish.

Her fiery eyes sprung into action.

"But what more can I do! I'm **sorry**. How can I make it better! It's in the past! Why can you just let bygones be bygones?" she screamed back at me.

"No matter how many times you say 'sorry', you will never know what I went through." I retorted, clenching my fists at my sides.

"Usagi! Why do you have to be so stubborn!"

"Excusez-moi? Stubborn?! Stubborn my ass. Goodbye Rei." 

For the second time that day, I walked away from the woman I once called my friend. What a waste of my time. Thank God the other scouts didn't try to hunt me down and have the same little chit chat with me.   

I brushed past her without saying a word. I definitely needed a nice long walk home to cool off, and maybe some ice cream from Motoki's… Make that an ice cream sundae and a milkshake. Hey, a girl has got to eat.

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's so short. It's 2AM in the morning. Seems like I get my muse when everyone and everything is sleeping, while I'm the only one idiotic enough to stay awake. Anyways, this chapter probably wasn't that great, but I needed it for _foreshadowing_. Just kidding, I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm just trying to bs a reason for a bad update. Reviews make me update faster and better though! Ta ta darlings!


	5. Questions

**Synopsis: **They scorned her once before but now she's back to show them what they refused see. Usagi POV**  
Disclaimer:** not mine

**_Recap: _**"No matter how many times you say 'sorry', you will never know what I went through."

**Chapter 4:**

The cold ambrosia slipped down my throat as I closed my eyes and enjoyed every spoonful in rapturous ecstasy. The frothy white cream that was once upon the now deceased ice cream sundae somehow found its way to the corners of my mouth and I took pleasure in slowly licking them off with the tip of my tongue. So this was heaven. I smiled, eyes still shut in delight.

"Ahem," Motoki coughed, "shall I leave you and the ice cream alone?"

I laughed stopping suddenly when my eyes reached his face. His beautiful smile made everything else around us seem so shabby and bland in comparison, and his eyes were focused intently on me and only me as if I was the most important person in the world to him.

"Usa, is there something wrong? Usa?" he reached to plant his perfect hand on my shoulder, but I cringed as I shook myself from my trance, and he hesitated pulling it back.

I shook my head in reply.

"Well, I have these two tickets to the movies, and I was wondering…" he scratched the back of his head like he always does when he's nervous.

"Why Motoki, are you asking me out on a date?" I was playing coy and loving every moment of it as he squirmed under my gaze.

"Um. You see…"

"Sure. What time does the movie start?" I asked.

"Really? You'll come? Great! I'll pick you up at 8! See you later Usa!" he away to serve his other customers in a frenzy like a tornado bustling around a field of grass.

And so, I left with a raised eyebrow and a full stomach.

When I got home, I immediately started to rummage through my closet for the perfect outfit. I had to look nice for my first date back in Tokyo. It was a date, right?

After an hour of searching, my clothes seemed to blur into an ocean of colors, and I was going to be picked up by Motoki soon. Irritated, I closed my eyes and pulled out the first two pieces of clothing I laid my hands on; and thankfully, they matched. I hurriedly slipped into a comfortable pink skirt that clung to all the right curves and flared at the bottom, with a white tank top. Simple and sweet.

_Ding Dong_, the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" I cried from my room as if anyone could actually hear me.

I slipped on a pair of flip flops and walked as casually to the door as I could. Calm down, I told myself. It was only Motoki. I was making way too big a deal of something so small. Putting a sweet smile upon my face I twisted the doorknob as I readied myself to utter a cheerful greeting.

To my horror, it wasn't Motoki who was waiting for me at the other side of the door. It was Mamoru. My grin instantly dissipated into a scowl.

"What are you doing here?" my lips pressed together into a line so thin that it was barely visible.

His reply was terse, and his voice unfamiliarly distant. "Motoki told me to pick you up."

I shocked myself by nodding involuntarily as he motioned me to follow him into his car. I bit the side of my mouth, realizing that I had at one point or another, performed the very same action many times ago. No matter how hard I tried, it was evident, I couldn't forget. Anyone but him.

"Usagi!"

I blinked.

"Rei? What is going on?" I demanded an explanation.

"Motoki told me to pick you up," he repeated.

A swarm of emotions surged through my veins. Anger. Sadness. Regret?   
  
The rest of the carried was monotonous. No one spoke to one another, and I refused to look at Rei. I could see her take fleeting glances towards me from the passenger seat, but I ignored them, not wanting to waste my energy on someone like her. The air was stiff, and I opened the windows to breathe. A sigh of relief. We were nearing the theater.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the long wait guys. I can't seem to get into the mood for writing. I figure, if I don't feel up to it, the story won't be as good. Writer's block? I'd say so. It's short, I know. Right now, I'm not sure who Usagi's going to end up with. Who knows, maybe no one. =P Enjoy!


	6. Hopeless

**Synopsis: **They scorned her once before but now she's back to show them what they refused see. Usagi POV**  
Disclaimer:** not mine

_**Recap: **"Motoki told me to pick you up."_

**Chapter 5: **

My hands clenched at my side as I seethed in rage while I looked out Mamoru's car window. The theater, which usually took about five minutes to drive to, seemed to be miles and miles farther than normal, and Rei's constant side glances did not make amends to my already unbearable discomfort. What was she doing with Mamoru anyways? _Not that I care or anything._ I mean Rei and Mamoru can do whatever they want together. It's none of my business. In fact, the two swines belong together.

I snickered, but glared at the oh so charming couple as they turned to me with puzzled looks. How dare they.

The theater was in clear view now, and I silently sighed in relief. I could see Motoki's tall figure standing at the entrance, waiting patiently. The moment the car was parked, I bolted out the door without a second to spare. Instinctively, I ran up to Motoki and gave him a quick hug along with a peck on the cheek.

"Hey Usa, sorry about not picking you up. I had some last minute work at the arcade... you know, business is business." He was making up excuses, and I knew it, but this was Motoki. It just didn't matter.

I craned my neck upwards in order to see his face. Grinning I exclaimed, "Well, are we going on this date or not?"

He smiled back at me, and for a moment I forgot where I was. All of a sudden, nothing mattered, and I didn't have a care in the world. Mamoru was merely a man of the past. Rei didn't exist. And Motoki, dear Motoki, was everything.

Or was he really? A cough snapped me back to reality. I guiltily looked away as Mamoru and his priestess neared.

"Oh hey Mamoru, thanks for giving Usa a ride." He patted Mamoru's shoulder as a greeting.

"Boys," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

Mamoru glanced at me and answered, "Yeah sure man, no problem."

I pretended not to notice and grabbed Motoki's hand as we made our way to the ticket holder. Did he just choke?

"Theater 11 on your right. Enjoy the movie."

The previews had just begun, and the theater was already dark. Motoki led the way, and Mamoru was at my heels. Perturbed, I sped up in order to further my distance from him. To my horror, there seemed to be an extra step that I was not aware of and my clumsy 14-year-old self seemed to magically reappear.

My mouth formed an 'O' as I plunged forth into the darkness. How he knew I was about to fall, I never will know, but he caught me, quite easily I might add. Motoki was still climbing the stairs, and Rei stared at us from behind.

I unsteadily pushed Mamoru away, and ran up the stairs to join Motoki.

Throughout the movie, no one said a word. Not that you were supposed to in a theater. Mamoru sat to my left, between Rei and me. I fought back the urge to jump over them and run out of the theater screaming in frustration from the close vicinity of those who betrayed me.

The next two hours were sheer torture. Occasionally, Mamoru's and my arm would brush against each other, and I would be lying if I said there was no jolt of electricity. I looked Motoki and sighed. What was I to do?

**Author's Note: **Sorry guys, the school year really killed me, and I've been busy with volleyball all summer. Agh, this is a really short chapter, mainly a filler. I have an idea of where I want this to go, but right now I'm braindead from summer reading and visual arts homework. I'll try to revise this chapter this week... just wanted to put something up since it's been so long. Reviews please? I know it's been awhile. Make me feel loved! =]


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